Lessons Learned
by When the Moon Met the Sun
Summary: Ninja's used to be the order of the day. Key words here: *used to be.* How could ninja skills possibly help out Shun in modern day Japan? Follow his quest as he tries to figure out the true meaning of being a ninja. Chapter 8: Ninja Camp 2.
1. The Beginning of the End

_**Hello, prospective readers, this is a new idea that I've had in mind for a while, and it demanded to be written. I've always wondered about Shun, and this is the result. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

The Beginning of the End

_Shady figures clad in black skitter through the courtyard, effortlessly avoiding the trivial idea of sound. They bypass human-built barricades with the dexterity of a spider, and their lithe forms dart from rooftop to rooftop fluidly. _

_The victim is powerless to stop the silent force, which quickly disposes of human obstacles. The silence is not disturbed and continues its sleep. The victim is within sight. There is only the glint of a raised blade and—_

And you have the 21st century implication of being a ninja.

Confused yet?

Maybe it's better to start at the beginning, like a proper story should.

For me, it all really began with a book. It was a thick, jet-black volume that currently sat in an equally dark corner of my dojo. It had no title, and I wouldn't be anymore interested in it if it had one. This was simply because it was about the subject I dreaded most.

Ninjas.

My grandfather was kind enough—if you called forcing your only grandson to become a warrior kind—to introduce me into the ways of the 'dark ones,' as he calls us.

"History, Shun," he'd begun, "is very important to us. It finely details our traditions and…" I'd stopped paying attention after that point, knowing full well that'd he'd pulled most of his speech out of the book.

It was the introductory paragraph, and the only one I'd read to date.

_The _shinobi no mono_ were the ninja of feudal Japan, _shinobi _being the alternative reading of the character _nin_ hence the more well known term of ninja. They were hired by the daimyo to carry out tasks which their noble samurai would not do either through code of behavior or because they were simply unable to, such as secretly gaining access to another daimyo's castle and assassinating the daimyo, committing acts of arson, or intelligence gathering. Because of their methods the ninja were both feared and despised but the techniques they employed became a necessary part of a daimyo's capacity to wage war. Ninja guilds became entrenched in Kyoto, which they practically ruled at night, and governors frequently had to check their power._

The daimyo was a Japanese feudal lord, which didn't exist in these times, and no war was waging between them. Arson and assassination were illegal. This prompts the question:

Why be a ninja if what you were meant to do couldn't be done anymore?

Honestly, I still hadn't answered the question, and it was about time I tried to figure it out.

_**

* * *

**_

This story is meant go through different characteristics a ninja should have and how Shun applies or does not apply them to his life. I've got a few ideas, but if there are any you'd like to see mentioned or then feel free to let me know. Review and await the next chapter 'cause it'll be good!

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	2. Caught

_**Here's the next installment of Shun's ninja antics! Thanks to all of those that have taken an interest in it already!!**_

* * *

Caught

Ninjas often lived in villages that were built to provide defense for its inhabitants. As a precaution, the house of the _jonin_—the head ninja—contained many secret places, such as hidden doors, rotating staircases, concealed passages, and more booby traps than a trick house.

In my case, Grandpa and I lived on an island we pretty much had all to ourselves. He could be considered the _jonin_, and this was his house. Sure, he could do what he wanted with it, but sometimes I was skeptical. Even after years of living here, I'd barely scratched the surface of all the secrets the place held.

If we lived in a bustling city full of criminal activity, it'd be reasonable to have traps every few feet. I mean, if someone managed to climb the huge walls surrounding the property, then they'd still have to make it past the pitfalls in the yard. And if by some miracle they got through those obstacles, they'd have another thing coming once _inside_ the house.

It seemed like a hassle when the chances of a break-in were slim, at best.

I glanced wearily around my room, dark for the most part, only one window letting light in. there had to be something more in here, and I just hadn't found it. The only ensnarement I had encountered was the trap door located right as you entered the room, which opened when you stood on it for too long. I knew about that one because I'd fallen in on my first day here.

I crossed the room quickly, flicking the overhead light on. It illuminated the dark corners, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The bed sat where it always had, across from the computer, and the closet was half-open.

I decided on checking the closet out because it seemed like the most obvious place for secret passages. Shoving clothes out of the way, I randomly pushed against the walls to see if they gave way. I was about to try the ceiling when a loud sound caught my ear.

"Shun!"

I cringed, immediately recognizing Julie's high-pitched scream. I considered ignoring her, but then figured that she'd probably keep shouting until I came out. Swiftly, I jumped out of the closet, leaping out the open window instead of bothering to maneuver through the house.

It sounded like she was outside the grounds, and I wondered wryly what could have brought the hyperactive Subterra Brawler here.

Leaping onto the wall, I almost did a face plant at the sight of Dan and the others standing giddily outside the gates.

"What is this? A fieldtrip?" I asked, steadying myself with a hand.

"Hey, Shun!" Dan waved. "Get down here!"

I complied, landing gracefully behind them. "Dan," I began, trying to think of some way to get them to leave, "do you mind telling me what all of you are doing here?"

I glanced at every face, noticing the apologetic looks that Alice and Marucho gave me. It figures that only they would have the decency be embarrassed about showing up uninvited.

"We're here to visit you, silly!" Julie replied, latching onto my left arm with a grin.

"Visit?" I repeated.

"Yeah, now will you quit asking questions and let us in?" Runo demanded impatiently.

Wait. Hadn't she learned her lesson the first time she'd snuck in? I mean, she and Marucho were on the verge of being beat up by an eighty-five year old man. Maybe Gramps _had_ smacked Runo on the head, causing her slight memory loss.

"Come on, Shun, give us a tour of your place," Dan prompted. I pointed out that he had already been here. "Well, Julie and Alice haven't," he argued, only making Julie tug on my arm and Alice smile shyly.

"That's not a good idea, and you know it, Dan. This place is dangerous if you're not careful, and…"

I trailed off when the gates opened seemingly by themselves, and the group cheered. I groaned inwardly, knowing Grandpa was behind this.

Dan raced forward, and Julie released me in favor of Alice, tugging the poor girl forward along with the rest of them. I didn't stop them because, as far as I knew, there were no traps until the front doors were—

"Shun!" The five of them screamed out as they fell into a hole, proving me wrong. Well, can't say I knew about that one.

I ran over, looking down at them a bit smugly. "Do you guys ever bother listening?"

That was a rhetorical question, of course. Too often they acted on impulse, following through with things without a second thought.

Like coming to "visit" me.

I lifted each one out, warning them that if they wanted a tour they'd have to listen to me _before_ running off.

"Stay here until I come back." I ordered, leaving them standing outside as I slid the front door open. I wanted to check for any traps in the main hallway before they entered. The last thing I needed was for them to fall into a spike pit or be impaled by wooden stakes shooting out of the walls. Gramps tended to keep the more dangerous traps deeper inside the house, but I could never be sure. One might come as a total surprise.

Trailing down the dim hallway, I flipped light switches on, knowing their eyes wouldn't be as adjusted to the darkness as mine. My steps on the wooden floors echoed in the empty space but didn't set anything off. I tensed reflexively in areas I was positive had housed a trick just yesterday. All the nets, sticks, trap doors—everything—had seemingly disappeared.

I even examined the kitchen—Grandpa's favorite place to catch me off guard—without incident.

More than a little suspicious, I swiftly sprinted back in the direction of my friends, hoping Gramps didn't have something special in mind for them.

"I've got you now, you hooligans!" Grandpa shouted, and I quickened my pace, arriving just in time to see him leaping down from the ceiling with a wooden stick in each hand.

The other five Brawlers were sprawled on the floor, tangled mercilessly in a net. They—well, mostly Dan and Runo—shouted in protest, wriggling even more against the confining mesh.

"Shun, get us out of here!" Dan hollered loudly, causing the others to cover their ears because of his proximity.

"Ah, Shun, you made it!" Grandpa noticed, handing me a stick and smacking the other against his palm experimentally. "It'll be just like hitting a piñata." He raised it high above his head, before adding as an afterthought, "A squirming piñata."

"Grandpa!" I hissed, snatching his stick with ease. "These are my friends. Or have you forgotten so easily?"

Even with the bright lights shining overhead, the older ninja leaned forward, squinting at the group he'd caught. He adjusted his glasses, and I desperately wished his eyesight wasn't failing him for good. It wouldn't benefit anyone to have a blind old man wandering around a house with an arsenal of ninja weapons at his disposal.

Dan grinned at him. "Hey, Grandpa! It's me, Dan."

Gramps raised a bushy, gray eyebrow at him. "No, I don't remember you."

"But you love me!" Dan protested.

"No," I corrected smoothly. "He just puts up with you because I do." Dan glared at me before muttering something about a ninja roll. I sighed, remembering the time I'd tried to teach him to roll out of harm's way. That probably explained why the net was jumbled so much.

Grandpa moved onto Runo, staring for a second. "Ah, you and you"—he pointed at Marucho, who laughed sheepishly—"are the ones who I caught last time."

"Please, sir, we meant no harm, and Runo and I offer our sincerest apologies," the blonde explained, Runo nodding vigorously.

Grandpa nodded serenely, before directing his attention to Julie. "You attacked me with a hammer, I recall."

She blushed. "Like, I am sooo sorry about that, but you'd totally be my favorite crazy old man if you let us go," she bargained, and I chuckled quietly at her attempt to win Gramps over.

"And you," he stood before Alice, looking thoughtful. "What have _you_ done to me?"

"Oh, nothing, sir," she answered politely, chestnut eyes wide. "And I would appreciate it if you set us free."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I think I would prefer it if you stayed in there, and a little beating never hurt anyone."

I stared at him in disbelief, already beginning to undo the mess Dan had made. Gramps laughed when they gulped audibly. He told me to have fun with my friends and retreated into one of the darker areas of the dojo murmuring something about kids these days.

An hour later they were all free with minor damage sustained.

"Shun," Dan began seriously, dusting himself off. "Don't be offended if I say I never want to come back again."

"Don't worry, Dan." I offered, shaking my head in the direction Gramps had left in. "I don't blame you."

Soon they left, making me promise that I would go to town sometime during the week.

Darting cautiously from room to room, I reached the kitchen, wanting to forget today's episode with a steaming cup of herbal tea. I'd barely taken a sip when Grandpa dropped down from the ceiling and onto the counter, expertly flinging his ever-present stick at me. I set the cup down, speedily doing a back flip to avoid it. A net was on me within milliseconds, not giving me time to dodge.

"A ninja should never be caught off guard," he chided. "Oh, and thanks for the tea!"

_**

* * *

**_

Man, I love writing Grandpa. Anyway, don't forget to review, and if there's anything ninja-related you would like to see, let me know!

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	3. Circus

_**First off, I'd like to thank everyone for the wonderful ideas they've offered me, which will be put to good use, I promise. **_

_**Second, this chapter is dedicated to Serenade of Water, for being awesome.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bakugan, but dreams can come true! **_

* * *

Circus

My little rendezvous with a net in the kitchen ended tragically. It was all Grandpa's fault. If he hadn't taken my tea, I wouldn't have had to make another cup for myself, breaking three in the process. It also wasn't my fault that tea spilled all over the wooden floors.

Oh, and the net didn't make it. Nope, definitely _not_ my fault.

I stomped back to my room after grudgingly cleaning up the mess. In all honesty, I felt worse now than I had after my friends had left. The good thing was that no traps caught me by surprise on the way there. Gramps knew better than to pull something like that when I was in a terrible mood. With a sigh I entered my room and silently slid the door shut. Leaning against the door frame, I shut my eyes.

What I needed was a shower and some sleep. The open closet jeered at me, but I ignored it. I would deal with it another day.

---

My biological clock woke me up at exactly four thirty in the morning. The summer sun wouldn't be up for another hour. A whole hour to kill before training began. I was a little thankful for that. Training used to begin a lot earlier, but Gramps wasn't as young as he used to be. Now I had time to go out and enjoy at least part of the sunrise.

I jumped out of bed and took a moment to stretch before turning toward the closet. I had no clue what Grandpa had in mind for today's session, so I slipped into a pair of black jeans and a navy shirt. Gramps had never heard of a schedule, so the order of his exercises was completely random.

"Always be ready for anything," he reminded like a broken record.

Slipping out the window, I settled myself on the maroon-tiled roof. The moon's silhouette was fading and dipping lower in the sky. It was an indigo canvas spotted with the light of dying stars. They twinkled feebly, their brightness vanishing in the presence of the stronger light.

The first rays of dawn reached out, climbing clumsily out of their slumber. The sky was tinged gray, and I could vaguely make out the sun's form rising in the distance. I felt at ease during the sunrise, knowing I was free to just live. It was a great contrast to everyday life.

Too bad good things never last. Pale orange luminescence descended across the land and sea, signaling the end of the moment. I breathed out a sigh and made my way back inside. I soundlessly left my room, carefully winding around pit traps through the dark corridors. I reached Grandpa's room in no time.

Listening intently, I waited for the telltale signs of his awakening. Slowly but surely, I heard his mattress creak followed by a loud snap, a muffled crack, and an obvious pop.

I allowed myself a grin. Those were the sounds of his old body booting up, so to speak, and they'd earned him the nickname "Rice-Crispy," after a popular pop culture icon. It was only one of the many names I'd impudently bestowed upon him.

He emerged from his room, glancing disinterestedly at me through slanted glasses before shuffling down the hall in his pastel pink—I mean, "off-white"—bathrobe. I followed, sarcastically offering to lead him by the hand to his destination. Rice Crispy only scowled and continued toward the kitchen and out onto the back porch.

His white hair stood up at odd angles and glistened in the sun like the dew-drenched foliage did. The tall trees soared above us, and the leaves fidgeted against the cool breeze.

"What now, old man?" I asked, crossing my arms. Normally, Gramps didn't train in his bathrobe. Then again, he never failed to surprise me, and he kept up that streak by pointing up.

---

Part of the ninja job description was to be a skilled acrobat. This probably gave rise to myths about flying ninjas.

One technique, used for climbing over walls, involved one ninja climbing up another's shoulders. Alternatively, two ninja could propel another into the air by lifting his feet up, and the latter would use the momentum to make his own leap and 'fly' over the wall. Several ninja could also make a human pyramid, so the uppermost man could attain a greater height. The rest of them would usually vanish with as little sound as possible.

I don't have a problem with doing dangerous stunts like that.

What bother me is that ninja acrobatics were meant to be done by young, or even middle-aged, men, not by old-timers that needed help getting around.

But no. The Frail Fogy insisted that he could go through with today's training, despite the fact that in would involve twisting and flipping through the air. With his bad hip. In a bathrobe.

I just didn't understand him sometimes.

Acrobatics were something we didn't practice regularly because it involved both of us working together, which proved to be a challenge sometimes. During most exercises, we'd start out together, and then go off and train separately. This, however, required that the two of us train together the _entire_ time. And frankly, I didn't think Rice Crispy was up for it anymore.

"Come on, Shun," he nagged, doing a few meek stretches to warm up. "Do you want to climb on my shoulders, or should I get on yours?"

I think that was a trick question. Would he be able to hold my weight? Or did I want to have his life on my shoulders?

"You hold _me_ up," I decided, stretching as well.

"Fine, fine."

I jumped and tried to land gently on my grandfather. His wrists locked around my ankles, and I stood up straight. Looking up, I caught sight of the tightrope stretched across the yard, one end tied to the house and another to a tree.

As a rule, all I had to do was reach up to grab it, but today, I fell inches short.

"You've gotten much heavier, Shun," Gramps grunted, practically crouching down. I rolled my eyes, already seeing the work out cut short.

I leaped onto the roof, and from there, I knelt down to help him up. I pulled on his outstretched arms, wincing when I heard another snap. Grandpa's face contorted in pain, and I let him go.

"I think you threw out my back," he wheezed, doubling over in agony.

"Are you going to be okay, Gramps? I can take you to a doctor, you know." At the mention of a doctor, he straightened considerably, though he kept his hands on his lower back.

"What? I don't need one of them. I'm just fine, Shun." I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted. "Just do some flips on the tightrope without me. I'm going to go…lie down."

He hobbled into the kitchen and off into some other part of the house. I shrugged, easing myself onto the tightrope. With the Frail Fogy, it was best to let him cope on his own, although I had no idea why caused his aversion toward doctors. Treading lightly, I kept my arms extended for balance.

Time whizzed by as I did my best to leap and jump across the tightrope alone, making it all the more dangerous, since no one was around to catch or at least watch me. Hours later I walked inside, surprised to see a nutritious breakfast on the table.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Rice Crispy turned around from his search of the fridge, milk in hand. "Well, breakfast doesn't make itself," he retorted, softly settling himself at the head of the table.

"Yeah, because I make it most of the time," I muttered, examining a piece of burnt toast.

"So do you have any plans for today, grandson? And by plans, I mean are you expecting your crazy friends?"

I shook my head, already heading to my computer. Just because I told them I'd visit, didn't mean that they wouldn't come to me anyway.

My room had brightened significantly, and I flicked the switch to start up the machine. It took its sweet time loading its information, and I waited anxiously for it to finish. I checked out our chat room, but found it empty, much to my relief. Typically, one of the Brawlers (usually Dan) was on at a time, and whoever it ended up being insisted that I come out of my "hole" and talk with them. A bolded message popped up on the screen.

_**Inbox (25)**_

Not surprising, really. The first thirteen were from Dan, the subjects calling out something about pudding or hanging out. The next one was from Marucho about confirming my attendance to a party. Then, ten messages from Komba, which I'd read later. I continued to scroll down, finding the last message and quirking an eyebrow at it.

It was from Julie, but unlike most other messages she sent me—about miracle hair care products or the like—this one's subject was "Exercise." Confused, I clicked on it.

_Dearest Shun,_

_I totally hope you don't mind, but I am coming over today around ten. It is __**uber**__-important, and I have to talk to you in person!_

_XOXO_

_Julie_

….What?

For a second, her message didn't make sense, until I reread it a couple times.

Important and Julie weren't two words that could be related in a serious way. Maybe in a ha-ha, that's ridiculous kind of way would Julie have something _important_ to talk about. And everyone knows that in an orderly universe, it just didn't happen.

I groaned inwardly, trying to think of a way to stop her. I glanced at the time noted in the screen's corner.

_9:58_

Damn it! I had to stop her. That or I had to hide. I ran out of my room, determined to get Gramps to make her leave. I had a perfect plan. He'd go ninja on her, and she'd panic and run. Simple, quick, easy.

Yes, that was my solution. All I needed to do was—

"…there's this great rejuvenating serum that would make you look, like, ten years younger!" her voice sliced through the silence in the kitchen like nails on a chalkboard.

"Really?" I heard the geezer reply in astonishment as I stood frozen in the doorway.

"Yep, and what's great is that it evens out your complexion, too," Julie added. Perhaps I could just sneak away before she saw—

"Shun!" she shrilled, giving me her signature grin. "I was just explaining to your wonderful Grandpa that there are products out there for everyone."

"He doesn't buy into that," I replied stiffly.

"Actually, Shun, this young lady has me convinced! I never knew that there were so many options available, especially for someone of my age," he answered wisely as if it was an old proverb.

Oh, great. Now she's brainwashed my own grandfather.

"Remind me again why you're here?" I asked, inching away.

She smile disappeared and her expression became somber. "Well, I heard something from Dan, and I was wondering if it was true."

"That's what was so important?" I inquired. "Gossip?"

She looked offended, balling her hands into fists and placing them on her hips. "Hey, I do more than just gossip, Mr. Hot-Shot! And no, it wasn't gossip. Dan told me you were way into aerobics," she finished with a huff.

"Aerobics?" I repeated, not recalling any conversation that mentioned the exercise.

"Yeah, like, ninja exercising and stuff. I totally want to try it out, so I was wondering if you would—"

"Julie," I interrupted, suddenly understanding. "Ninjas do _acrobatics_, not aerobics."

Her cobalt eyes scrutinized me, as if to see whether or not I was lying. "Oh!" she shouted, her face lighting up. "I didn't know you were in a circus, Shun. Can you, like, teach me?"

Rice Crispy chuckled lowly, and I narrowed my eyes. "No, I was most definitely _not_ in a circus. And no, I won't teach you."

Julie blinked rapidly before pouting. As if that would make me change my mind. Then a dastardly scheme hatched in my head, one that would make her leave almost immediately.

"On second thought," I reconsidered slowly, "follow me."

"Ay ay, captain," she conceded, giddily trailing behind me as I led her out the kitchen door and into the forest. Once she got tired of hiking, which I assumed would take about five minutes, she'd beg me to turn back, and my problem would be solved.

"Ouch!" she cried out two minutes into the hike. Even better, she was hurt! I hopped over a log easily and held in a smirk.

"I think I broke a nail," she whined, catching up to me in no time flat.

"We have to go back," I compromised.

"You bet we do, and I have to go get my nails done."

Everything was going according to plan, until her uninjured hand clamped around my wrist. She pulled my hand up to her face and inspected my nails.

"Shun, you so have to get a mani, too!" I tugged my arm back, but she wouldn't let go. Her grip was like steel. "Don't worry," she soothed, yanking me back home. "Guys can get manicures and still be manly and tough and all that."

Julie winked, and I felt an unknown emotion pool inside me.

Fear.

_**

* * *

**_

You like? Review, then!

_**Oh, and a heads up, the next chapter might be awhile. So sorry about that, but real life happens DX**_

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	4. Child Labor

_**Well, it seems that I am back with another chapter! Rejoice or curse, for I do both during this process. I'd like to mention that I appreciate all the people who are following this story and that have given suggestions. Now moving on…**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bakugan or Teen Titans, since there are many references to it in here! **_

* * *

Child Labor

I trudged down the dirt path toward the front gates, clenching and unclenching my fists and feeling my nails digging into the palm of my hand.

"Stupid Julie….Stupid salon…" I muttered to myself jumping over the wall and quickly slipping into my room through the window. "I can't believe this."

I slumped against the wall beneath the window, squeezing my eyes shut and flattening my hands against the floor. Wrenching one eye open, I groaned at the horror that was my perfectly manicured nails. I tried to take deep calming breaths, but it didn't work. The image of my nails painted pink—pink!—was burned into my retinas, and breathing didn't make it any less hideous.

You know, I would have been fine with just getting them filed.

And I would have lived through all those oils and whatnot that the lady poured on my fingertips.

But Julie—being the pink-obsessed freak she is—insisted on painting them pink, of all colors.

I resisted. I really did. I knocked over display tables and supplies, and I was almost out the door when she caught me. Julie grabbed my shirt and dragged me backwards, forcing me into a seat, and then proceeding to strap me to it with duct tape.

Who the hell keeps duct tape in a nail salon, anyway?

As if that wasn't enough, Julie also taped my mouth closed, just so I couldn't call for backup. I swear, she planned it all out beforehand. She almost got me into a tanning bed, claiming that I was "as white as sour cream," except that she'd made the mistake of taking off the tape, at which point I threatened to call the police. Again.

I was up a creek without a paddle.

Gramps would freak if he saw my nails painted. He never did agree with anything I did that was remotely feminine (such as having long hair), which I've kept short since I was fifteen. Hell, he didn't even like it when I cleaned, since that was "a woman's job."

I usually didn't pay any attention to his over exaggerated fears because one, the dojo had to be cleaned at some point, and two, Grandpa had always been paranoid of anything that threatened his traditional way of life.

Somehow, I figured that if Rice Crispy didn't have a heart attack on the spot, he'd kick me out of his house for good.

Living on my own couldn't be that hard, right? I was practically an adult, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad. Of course, I'd need to get a job, and a place to live.

On the other hand, if Gramps died suddenly, then I wouldn't have to leave, and I'd have the dojo all to myself. It'd be much the same as the getting kicked out, only I wouldn't have to get a job or a new place.

Was it wrong to like option two more than the other one?

I'd convinced myself that it was entirely within my rights to think that way when my door slid open. I sat on my hands, noticing the way Gramps eyed me. He was suspicious, all right.

"How was your trip?" he asked politely, inviting himself in.

"Fine," I answered curtly.

"Just fine?" he pressed, pushing his glasses up with a mischievous smirk.

I narrowed my eyes at him. He had better not be implying that—

"Well, it's alright if you don't want to tell me, Grandson, but remember that your grandfather will always be here when you need to have a man to man talk. You're coming of age, and it's only natural that certain, ahem, urges present themselves—"

"I don't want to hear it," I growled, making sure to increase my glare tenfold.

He chuckled, but didn't say anything more about the subject. As soon as he left, I let out a quiet sigh. That had been a close one. I examined my nails and their repulsive color again.

"Oh, by the way, Shun," Gramps added, and I quickly shoved my hands behind my back. "You need to be up an hour earlier for tomorrow's training." He gave an uncharacteristic wink, and I rolled my eyes.

What did the old man have planned now? It could have been anything, but I quickly moved on to the more pressing issue at hand.

Where in a dojo did you keep nail polish remover?

---

I spent half the night slinking around the dojo in an attempt to find some acetone. I'd checked every single room in the dojo from head to toe except for the kitchen. Dejectedly, I rummaged around in the cabinets until, what'll you know, I found it hidden behind a box of super natural granola bars.

I don't know why the old buzzard liked to torture me so.

Tired and cranky, I dragged myself outside for training, working on only three hours of sleep. I yawned, waited for Gramps to make his grand entrance. The sooner I finished training, the faster I could go back to sleep. A musty smell reached my nose, and my eyes jerked open.

Old & Putrid himself had waddled up, again in a bathrobe. He, though, was wide awake, subliminally mocking my lack of sleep. He cleared his throat, and I resisted the urge to hold my nose against the smell. I was positive the fetid odor was coming from him, and it wasn't just "old person" smell. Had he reeked like this yesterday?

My sleep-deprived brain couldn't remember.

He didn't say anything, merely motioning for me to follow him down the path leading into _The Forest_. I stumbled along the path, slowly getting my bearings back. He led me to a vermilion arch composed of two beams curving upwards at the ends attached to two sturdy poles.

The Arch of Fate, he called it because our ancestors had built it, and it had decided the future of every Kazami man…or so Gramps said. Legend had it that if you had a problem, you'd come to the Arch of Fate, and it would give you a sign of what your next move should be.

I called it the Arch of Ancients, and I found that it, like many of the other things my grandpa said, was a load of crap. The Arch never bothered to help me with my problems (not that I ever came to it), and that was either because it didn't like me or it didn't work. The only thing mysterious about it was that it looked brand new after standing for five hundred years.

"Shun," he called, motioning for me to step forward. "A ninja has to be incredibly fit, supple and strong to perform the acrobatics—or any other death-defying act, for that matter—and I saw your performance lacking yesterday."

"You weren't there to train with me," I pointed out matter-of-factly.

He shook his head in disappointment. "It is not the ninja way to blame your failures on others—"

"How do you expect me to perform acrobatics alone?" I asked, but he continued as if he hadn't heard me. Great, now he was deaf, too.

"—and so today you will be strength training." He tossed me a set of white, breathable clothes because I wouldn't be able to train in jeans. My shoes had to stay behind, too. Then he shoved two buckets at me.

"This is your task, Shun," he explained, "You must carry water up the mountainside, and leave it at the ba—I mean, location I designate. It will be up to you how you accomplish your task, but it should be finished before nightfall."

At that, the old man walked away, disappearing along the path. I glanced at the aforementioned mountain in the distance. I'd never climbed it, but it couldn't be too hard. I could clearly distinguish the path, leading up to it, and as far as I knew, there weren't any vicious forest animals on the island. This would be a piece of cake.

I made my way down the trail with the empty buckets, swimming across the stream that divided the island and filling them up on the other side. Another arch loomed over the riverbank, only this one wasn't "special." The water seemed murky in the darkness, but it was crystal clear in the daylight. I continued along the path with ease, buckets in hand, reaching the base of the mountain.

I began the sloped path upward, flinching when rocks began to dig into the soles of my feet. I set the water down, kicking a few rocks out of my way. "Next time a crazy old man tells you to leave your shoes," I muttered to myself, "take them, anyway."

I picked up my water, ready to quicken my pace, when I spotted Rice Crispy ahead of me. I saw him limping and barefoot, a stick in his right hand. It wasn't the usual beating stick, though. This one was longer and thicker.

"Gramps?" I asked. "How did you get up here so fast?"

"The same way you did, I walked," Grandpa answered sagely, handing me his stick. "You should use it to carry the water."

I draped the rope handles over each end of the stick and placed it across my shoulders. Keeping a tight hold on it, I followed Grandpa a little ways up.

The water sloshed against the sides of the wooden bucket, threatening to spill over. "How far until I reach your location?"

Gramps didn't answer for a few minutes. He turned to me suddenly, and asked me whether I had said anything. I repeated my question, clenching my hands against the stick.

"That all depends on you, Grandson. How fast can you make it though this cave?"

The rocky path had evened out a bit, and we stood before the entrance to a damp cave. The rising sun failed to penetrate the inky darkness. Another red gate was erected at the entrance. Again, no powers for this one.

With a sigh, I felt my way around the inside, feeling the sleep crawling back into my eyes. My shoulders were beginning to ache dully, but I fought it off.

A few feet into the cave and I couldn't even see the entrance. Blindly, I treaded along the surprisingly smooth surface, holding my charge with one hand and reaching forward with the other. I bumped into rocks and something slimy, but I made it out eventually with minor injuries. A fourth of the water had spilled out.

"Fantastic," I drawled, eyeing the rocky cliff in front of me. No more path, so I guess I had to climb it.

Climbing while carrying water turned out to be as easy as controlling Dan's temper: nearly impossible.

"There has to be an easier way to do this," I mused aloud, reaching a broad outcropping of rock. The quickly diminishing water rippled.

"There is an easy way, and there is the right way."

I glanced upwards, noticing Old & Putrid sitting cross-legged on another protrusion. No way, I'd left him behind!

"How'd you get up here?" I asked irately.

He leaned back, his ponytail rubbing against the dark stone. "Same as you, I climbed."

I glowered. "Well, how much farther is it?"

"If you keep stopping to chitchat, you'll never make it up before sunset," he reprimanded. He never was a fan of straight answers.

I rolled my shoulders to get some feeling back into them. The sun was about barely above the horizon, so it couldn't be later than nine.

A gate shimmered up ahead, and my half full buckets weighed down on me like bricks. Past the arch, a set of stairs extended up the mountainside.

"Finally," I sighed. A lone crater rested at the top, empty. "This must be where he wanted me to put it."

I carefully poured the water in, watching as the three foot deep hole filled a few inches. I sat down to rest, getting ready to fall asleep right then and there.

"Shun!" Gramps interrupted urgently. "You are not finished yet."

"I'm not?"

"That was merely one round. That does not make you stronger. You will continue until this crater is filled," he announced, gazing down at me.

Well, he was right about one thing. It didn't make me stronger.

It made me angrier.

One round had worn me out enough, but the continued trips ground me into a pulp. By the last trip, I was dragging myself up the stairs and tossing the water in bucket and all. Collapsing beside the crater, I vaguely noticed that steam was rising from it.

Later, it clicked that the water was being heated by an underground source. At the moment, I only realized that the geezer was shedding his bathrobe—at which point I turned away because I didn't need any more mental scarring—and climbing into the crater.

"What are you doing?" I asked, already suspicious.

He chuckled nervously. "Shun, nothing beats an old-fashioned bath."

"What?" I whispered venomously. "I did all that for your bath!?"

Suddenly, it all made sense, the stink, the bathrobe, the _work_. He was taking advantage of my youth!

I sat up, regretting it immediately as pain shot though my body. Every muscle hurt, and I couldn't muster the energy to glare. Falling back, I picked up a rock. I threw it at him as hard as my remaining strength would allow.

"Hey!" he whined, holding the spot where it had struck. I smiled to myself, knowing his shoulder would have a nice bruise there to remind him of this, at least for a few days.

"I hate you, Gramps," I mumbled unconvincingly before shutting my eyes and drifting into dreams.

_**

* * *

**_

Feedback is always welcome, so everyone, whether anonymous or other, push the little button that says Review!

_**Cocoacharm15**_


	5. Speed of Sound or Shun

_**Here is the much anticipated fifth chapter! I made it long, just for you guys. Truthfully, my laptop crashed and burned, which is why this took so long. But that's beside the point. Enjoy! **_

**

* * *

**

Speed...of...Sound (or Shun)

I groaned, curling into a ball and turning to the side. The sheets slipped off my body, and I pulled them harshly over my head to block the sunlight filtering through the window. Admittedly, I was surprised to find myself in my own room and not on the cold, unforgiving dirt.

It was a few more minutes before I realized that sunlight meant daytime, meaning I was late for training. I was tempted to rush outside and apologize to Gramps for sleeping in, but then I thought better of it, remembering the torture the dinosaur had put me through. Every single muscle ached from yesterday's harsh exercise; every sinew throbbed dully from overuse. The only good thing that came from it was that Rice Crispy finally quit stinking.

I stared up at the ceiling with a scowl. I didn't need to check the clock to know it was about six in the morning. I breathed in deeply, standing up and wincing as I completed my morning stretches. I could already tell today was going to be a bad day.

I crawled back into bed and decided to take the day off. Technically, ninjas didn't have holidays, so I was sure Gramps would be in here within minutes to chastise me for not being responsible or something like that. Of course, if he was being benevolent, which was like asking hell to freeze over, he might leave me alone.

That, however, wasn't the only reason I had to dread the day.

Today was the day of Marucho's fifteenth birthday party, the most widely anticipated bash of the year. Everyone knew he always went all out for it, and so many people tried to sneak in that he had to have bouncers at his door to keep things under control. Two years ago he had everyone go indoor bungee jumping, much to the crowd's pleasure, and last year he'd taken everyone to Paris for the summer. Needless to say, whatever he had planned for this party was bound to be more extravagant that the last.

As much as I disliked large crowds, Marucho was a good friend and it was only expected that I be there, along with the rest of the gang. For his sake, I would go, albeit grudgingly.

My door slid open quietly, and if it hadn't been for the familiar creaking I heard, I would have missed it completely. "Grandson?" he croaked.

I didn't answer.

"I'd like to apologize for yesterday," he explained, entering and resting himself on my bed with a grunt.

I quirked an eyebrow at that. It had to be a load of crap. He never _ever_ apologized for putting me through a torture session he called training. Or for anything else.

He sensed my skepticism, and continued, "I am being completely honest with you. I realize that yesterday was unfair and a bit harsh—"

"A bit?" I snorted.

He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Alright, very harsh. I just assumed that your young resilient body could perform the task better than my aging one could." His voice sounded frail and feeble, like that of a jaded old man with nothing worthwhile left in life. I was tempted to believe him for a moment. Gramps sounded so sincere, and yet…

"I understand if you don't believe me, so leave an old man to his senile ramblings…" he began to shuffle out sadly.

"Wait, Grandpa," I called out, and he stopped expectantly on the other side of the door. I pulled myself out of bed, muscles stinging. He pushed up his glasses, and I sighed. "I guess you're forgiven."

He grinned manically then. "Oh, excellent, Shun." There was a brief pause. Then—"Now that we are on such good terms, I need you to go to town and buy me some rejuvenating serum. I hear it is all the rage these days."

I stood beside my bed, staring blankly at his wrinkles. A dull ache raced up my legs.

"What?" I murmured furiously.

"Shun, it would be unfortunate to know that you are losing your hearing at such a young age—"

"I heard you!" I snapped, stalking closer.

He straightened. "Well, in that case…" He coughed nervously. "…I should be going!"

I suppressed the urge to run after him—I was in no mood for that—and groaned again, knowing I'd been roped into running his errands for him. I might have seemed like I had a choice, but in reality, if I didn't comply out of my own free will, Grandpa's next step would be using guilt against me, followed by blackmail. Besides, I didn't have the energy to waste on him.

During breakfast, I recalled Marucho's official invite with perfect clarity, for lack of anything better to do except listen to the dinosaur's rants about how even old people deserved to feel useful.

The envelope had been a creamy white, elegantly garnished with Marucho's family name on the corner. A glob of blue wax sealed it, and I had carefully opened it to reveal the serious little note enclosed.

_Dear Shun Kazami,_

_You are cordially invited to Choji Marukura's fifteenth birthday celebration being held in at his posh estate located in the business district of the city. The theme shall be "Future Fads" and the celebration shall commence at exactly six o'clock sharp. Late arrivals are likely to be denied entry._

_RSVP promptly._

_Sincerely,_

_The Marukura Family_

_Enclosure_

Along with the overly decorated invitation had been a map showing directions to the "posh estate." As if I'd need them. I'd been to Marucho's house so many times, I was confident I could make it there with my eyes closed. That is, if I could make it while aching all over.

"—and that's how I learned that slicing out someone's liver with their rusty samurai sword is not the best way to solve your problems."

I stood up, hoping to escape before I was charged with another mundane task. "Yeah, that's great, Gramps."

"Wait, are you heading out to the drugstore, Shun?" he called, shuffling after me.

I pulled a hand through my hair. "Gramps, I don't have time to buy drugs for you, okay? Besides, they're bad for your health."

He smacked me lightly on the head.

"What?" I shrugged.

"Well, whenever you get time—" that was code for _now_—"head over to the store and get me that wrinkle cream. Oh, and maybe you should also bring some denture cream while you're at it. My stocks are running low."

"Yeah, sure." I headed out the front door, dodging the net that fell seconds after reached it and stretching something in the process. I cringed, but quickly pulled my act together. I couldn't seem weak outside of my home. What would the neighbors say?

It took a grand total of five minutes to reach the gates, a process that normally took only five seconds. Judging by the position of the sun, I knew it was nine or so. That gave me nine hours till the party, although at this rate, I assumed it would take me nine hours to get there. Not to mention that I still had to find Marucho a present and buy Gramps his beauty products.

Bad day was an understatement.

---

Traditionally, ninjas had to be able to leap from great heights and run for long distances. Well, not traditionally, _every_ ninja had to be agile and have great stamina.

Which I failed at today.

Terribly.

I walked down the most populated street of town, and an old woman—older than the dinosaur at home—shuffled past me.

Something was obviously out of place.

Just then, a figure smacked into me, causing a jolt of pain to run through me.

"Sorry," she apologized, eyeing me with flashing emerald eyes. Runo. Her face brightened with realization. "Oh, it's just you, Shun. What are you doing in town?"

That was the cue to run, which I would have done if I could've. Instead, I replied, "I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm just shopping for Marucho's present." She answered cheerfully. "You are coming to his party, _right_?"

I nodded, quickly trying to come up with an excuse to leave. I didn't have anything against Runo—Dan apparently thought she had some good in her—but she got on my nerves at times, and that was reason enough for me to disappear.

"I have to go this way," I pointed out casually, noticing she was headed in the opposite direction. "Grandpa needs his meds." I made my way down the sidewalk a bit and pointing in said direction. "This is me going."

"Oh, I gotcha." She nodded before turning and calling out a 'See you later!'

The drugstore was actually in the other direction, but I figured I could cut back around quickly. I wasn't as sore anymore. In fact, I was picking up the pace a little bit (I managed to power walk ahead of the granny!). Still, by the time I reached the store, I collapsed onto the nearest bench, mentally howling in pain.

The man behind the counter pointedly ignored me, passing me the usual order. He never acknowledged my existence, but that might've been because of a falling out he'd had with Gramps. Consequently, Gramps always sent me here, instead of coming himself. The nondescript paper bag contained two containers of denture cream, each one tightly sealed.

"Do you have any…wrinkle cream?" I asked pitifully, rolling my eyes when his lips pursed in amusement. He obliged wordlessly, handing me the offending product. I held it at arm's length, letting it fall into the open bag.

So far, so good. Now I only had to deliver the package and find a present. I could do all that in six hours, right?

Of course. I was built for speed. I was slim, tall, angled…I'm practically faster than a speeding bullet.

Still, I wasn't up to the challenge of going home only to come back again, so instead, I hired a local boy to take the creams to my grandpa.

I only had to find a present now. The sun was still angled high in the sky and with that in mind, I meandered through the bustling streets of the city, looking for something halfway decent that a kid millionaire didn't already have. I wandered through Hallmark stores, pawn shops, malls, and antique shoppes, but nothing screamed "Marucho".

The last two years I'd gotten him things that his parents deemed useless to someone like Marucho. So what if he was never going to use shurikens in his daily life? What did it matter if an antique samurai sword would just sit in the back of his closet gathering dust?

It was the thought that counted, or at least, I thought so.

I didn't have much longer before the party started. I noticed that it was getting close to five thirty, and at the rate I was traveling, it would take me at least half an hour to make it there. I had to move fast, which was impossible to do in the packed streets. Running into an alleyway, I leaped up, climbing onto the roof of a building with strained effort.

I studied the building to the left, the distance between the two only a few feet. I'd jumped areas at least three times that distance almost on a daily basis, so this wouldn't be too hard. Taking a running start across the tiled rooftop, I darted forward and just as I was about to take off, a cramp shot through my leg. With an ill-disguised scream, I plunged downward, trying to stretch and reach the other roof. My fingers curled around the gutter, and I heaved myself up, panting and narrowly avoiding a sticky situation. Resting for a few minutes, I tried again with the next rooftop over, happily finding that I was getting back into the flow of it.

By the seventh, I had taken to just leaping from roof to roof for fun, working the cramp off, until I caught sight of a small American-named store on the corner. A bright blue lava lamp reflected the dying sunlight.

"We have a winner," I murmured, landing expertly in front of the store and getting a few startled looks. The clock at the checkout counter said it was 5:55. Luckily for me, I could make out Marucho's tower in the distance. Taking to the roofs again, I sped toward the house, clutching my unwrapped gift in one hand.

The ache had begun to disappear and within moments I was running toward the open front doors. Ha, they don't call me Ninja Boy for nothing. Fixing my jacket, I strolled forward just as the bouncers slammed the doors shut.

The two brawny, seven foot men stared at me from behind their sunglasses. "I'm sorry, but it is now six-oh-one," the one the right said.

"But I'm one of the guests of honor! I actually _know_ the birthday boy!" I sputtered indignantly.

"We have explicit instructions not to allow admission to anyone here late." The other answered.

I withheld a growl, examining my opponents. I guessed that each one weighed about 300 pounds, but with my superior ninja skills, I should be able to take them out. That's what I was trained for. Granted, usually ninjas had surprise on their side, but I had the utmost confidence in my abilities.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to leave. There is a strict no loitering policy enforced around here." The first one informed me in a deep baritone.

_I'll show you loitering_, I thought, getting ready to spring and give him a well-placed blow in the head region, when a beep sounded on my wrist. Dan's face popped up on the screen of my communicator, looking annoyed, a mist in the background.

"Shun, you were supposed to be here four minutes ago!" he yelled. "Marucho is upset."

"I'm standing outside, you idiot, but the bouncers won't let me in. I was here one minute late. One minute!"

He sighed, irritated. "_I_ made it on time," he emphasized. "You're a ninja, Shun! How the heck did _you_ not make it? What about your super speed?"

I glared at him. "Hey, I have an excuse!"

"You can't blame everything that goes wrong on your Grandpa. He's a very wise, friendly old man, Shun. You should feel lucky to have one because there are people who don't. Have grandparents, that is. When will you be more mature and realize that?"

Great, now Dan was apparently more mature than me. "Look, Dan, I'll find a way in. Tell Marucho that I will be there."

"No, I'll make sure you get in," he stated, cutting the connection.

The guards raised their slim eyebrows at me, obviously having eavesdropped on our conversation. They didn't make a move to toss me off Marucho's property, and since I doubted that Dan would pull through, I went over my plan to take out the guards. I was positioned to strike right beside the second guard when they suddenly addressed me in unison.

"Sir, we have received word from our superintendent. You are allowed to enter."

I smirked at them, gloating silently at their failed attempt to keep me out. That'll teach them to mess with a ninja.

I cradled the gift, stepping inside and feeling the rush of air as the doors closed behind me. The grandiose foyer was brightly lit, and a young butler took my coat and escorted me to the room where the party was being held. After going down hallway after hallway, I got bored and announced that if we weren't there soon I would find it myself. He didn't say anything, merely directing me toward a pair of french doors that had a banner reading 'Happy Birthday, Marcuho!' stretched over them and tiny pictures of him in the windows, effectively blocking any peeks inside.

I stopped just before I opened the doors, wondering what he had planned for this year. Maybe he was taking us on a safari through an imitation Africa. Or maybe he'd just have a normal party like most people did.

Drawing a breath, I pulled open the doors, expecting to see something flashy like an explosion or something mundane like a piñata. Instead, I didn't see a thing. Steam obscured my view completely and I instantly felt sticky in my clothes. Blindly, I wandered into the steam holding the present behind my back. The lights progressively brightened as I ventured deeper into the mist, but Marucho or even Dan.

I did, however, notice what the place had been transformed into. It was a bubbling hot springs, complete with rocks, masseuses, and relaxing sounds from nature. Was it just me or was it weird for a fifteen year old to throw a hot spring party?

"What do you think, Shun?" a boyish voice asked me and I looked down to see a mess of blonde hair. Marucho, though not exactly normal height, had shot up a few inches throughout the years, just not enough for us to see eye to eye.

I smiled for his sake. "It's great, just not what I expected."

"You really think so?" he beamed. "I was unsure at first, but Runo said it was going to be amazing."

"She helped you plan this?"

"Yes, Runo was very helpful in the planning stages of this party. Even Dan pitched in. He suggested we have pudding as a refreshment."

Why was I not surprised?

"Marucho, aren't hot springs only for over the edge wackos?" I asked playfully, and he grinned.

"If the shoes fits!"

We shared a laugh, and then I remembered the item I clasped behind me. "Marucho, I got you something."

"Shun, you didn't have to get me anything!" he exclaimed with a frown–it's true, he didn't like gifts–but then an honest smile broke through. "What did you get me?"

"Well what does every bachelor pad need?" I joked, revealing the present.

"A lava lamp! This is great! I'll put it right next to my other one." He headed away from me and I gaped as I finally laid eyes upon the giant, skyscraper lava lamp poised in the middle of the room. It's colors shifted wildly, and my little lamp looked pitiful next to that monster. I should have figured as much, but at least he acted excited.

"Hey, Shun! You made it!" Dan's distinct voice cut through the noise and in seconds he was beside me. "I told you I'd get you in. I couldn't leave you out there with those nasty security guards."

"I could've taken them, Dan," I muttered.

"No, you couldn't have. I totally saw you walk in as stiff as a board. What you need is a massage and some relaxing time in the hot springs," he decided, promptly dragging me to a table and shoving me onto it.

"Dan, I don't know what–"

"Don't talk, just...enjoy,"he breathed, sinking into a pool of water.

I had to give Dan props. The massage totally helped alleviate my soreness, and pretty soon I was joining him and the others in the hot springs, reminiscing the good old times.

"It seems like just yesterday Marucho was fourteen," Dan recalled, looking into the distance.

"Dan!" Runo shouted. "That _was_ yesterday!"

He laughed, and everyone soon joined in. I made a move to punch his arm but my arms were unresponsive.

"What's going on?" I asked aloud and Dan turned to look at me in confusion.

"Oh, it must be that cream I asked the masseuses to use on you. My mom likes it because it numbs her body after her yoga session. Don't worry, Shun. It should wear off in an hour or two," he explained calmly.

I would've killed Dan had I been able to move, so he was lucky I was temporarily paralyzed. For his sake, it better only last a few hours.

_**

* * *

**_

I have the next chapter all planned out and everything, so stay tuned. Oh, make sure to drop me a line and review!

_**Cocoacharm15 **_


	6. Koying Around

_**Another update, hooray! I got many positive remarks on last chapter, and I'd like to thank [magical-tear] and foxgloves for reviewing because I could not reply. I appreciate all of you who follow this story and give me a reason to continue it ^.^**_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bakugan._**

* * *

**Koying Around**

One would only assume that after years of associating with Dan, I'd have learned how unreliable he was and how prone to bad luck _I _was whenever I happened to be in his company. One would also assume that, being a ninja, I would've seen this coming. Unfortunately, ignorance–or stupidity–was contagious, and hence, my current dilemma.

The numbing cream had actually taken six hours to wear off completely, which was more than the "few" Dan had promised. Nevertheless, I made it back home on my stiff legs with only one arm still slightly numb and a handful of weird looks. Instead of using the front door, however, I chose to enter through a my room's window. It's much trickier to maneuver a window open with only one arm, I realized, but it accomplished the original goal: getting in without seeing Grandpa.

The old man, as I was half-expecting, didn't leap out at me from the shadows, nor did he fall on me from the ceiling. I breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to make my way over to the bed, relying on mental images of the room while my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I crawled into bed, awkwardly cradling my numb arm. I stared up at the ceiling, seeing more clearly, and felt movement beside me. I tensed, slowly inching my good arm out to feel for the intruder.

There was nothing in my bed, so I relaxed, allowing exhaustion to take over. I opened my eyes once more just to make sure I was alone–I had the nagging suspicion I was being watched–and screamed.

"Grandpa?"

The beady eyes stared from above, intent on any move I might make. He hadn't moved an inch since my outburst. I sat up, trying to distance myself from Grandpa's unkempt mustache, and my arm fell to my side limply. The hawk-like eyes surveyed my limb, and I sighed inwardly. Here we go again...

"Shun! You are injured! What warrior was able to inflict damage upon you when I have trained you so well?"

_Dan_, I hissed mentally, but opted to stay mum about the incident. "I don't want to talk about it. Will you explain to me what you're doing in my room at his hour?"

He straightened, clasping his hands behind his back. "I was waiting for your arrival because I wanted to ask if this wrinkle cream made me look younger."

"Really?" I deadpanned.

"Yes. The print on the bottle was quite small, so I wasn't sure if I was using it correctly, but–"

"Grandpa," I interrupted, exasperated. "If I say yes, will you leave?"

He nodded into the darkness.

"Yes, you look like you're eighty again."

He chuckled, satisfied. "Excellent. It's good to know I got my money's worth. Shun, if you are aging prematurely this concoction will do wonders on you. Are those crow's feet?"

"Get out!"

-X-

Early morning was quickly becoming my least favorite time of the day, and it wasn't just Grandpa's fault. The other culprit was the ever-present Dan the Menace.

"Good morning, sleep head!" Dan sang as he rudely woke me from a particularly interesting dream in which I'd been born into a normal family. I ducked back under the covers, but the intruder obstinately pulled them off.

"Shun, get up. Grandpa had something really important to tell you," he insisted, shaking my shoulder back and forth, back and forth.

I curled up into a ball and turned away from him. I opened my eyes just a crack to see the first streaks of sunlight entering the room. Dan's prodding grew more pressing. I scooted farther away, pulling both hands through my hair. It seemed as if they both worked perfectly, which was good for Dan's sake. At least I didn't have to kill him now, though he liked to test my self-control.

"Come on," he begged, grabbing one of my arms and attempting to haul me off the bed. Not surprisingly, it didn't work. Then he tried a new strategy. "Shun, if you're not up in two minutes, I'm telling everyone you sleep with a stuffed bird."

I eyed him, unimpressed. "So? You sleep with an entire fridge."

He groaned. "Stop ruining my threats!"'

"Fine, fine," I agreed, standing up and going through my morning routine. "This better not be about his wrinkles or something else equally unimportant."

I made my way to the kitchen, where I assumed Grandpa would be, Dan at my heels. I wondered idly what he was doing here so early, but then decided against asking him. You just never knew with that kid. There were so many things not right about him.

The halls were eerily trap-free and even the usual pitfalls lacked their traditional surprise. I found it slightly disturbing. Even Dan seemed unusually quiet since we left my room.

I turned sharply into the kitchen, finding the old man eating a hearty meal of various fruits and meats. I sat on the counter, Dan following my lead. Grandpa continued to eat, not noticing my presence until I cleared my throat loudly. He gave me a disapproving glare, ignoring me until his meal was finished.

I didn't find his behavior strange in the least. The old coot was considered eccentric by eccentric standards. Dan, however, fidgeted and sighed impatiently more than once in the span of five minutes. He kept opening his mouth to speak and closing it at the last minute before he said anything. Something was up.

I studied my nails, waiting patiently for Grandpa's very important news. Last time he'd had "big news" my computer mysteriously disappeared and didn't reappear until two months later at the bottom of the koi pond

"Shun, I believe, you should know what is going to happen shortly," the old man announced, cutting short any more thoughts about computers and koi.

"What?" I asked wearily.

"I'm going on a mission," he replied curtly, cleaning his dishes in the sink.

I turned to face him, dumbfounded. "A mission? As in a _ninja _mission?"

He nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Is there are a problem?"

I leapt off the counter, Dan mimicking my movements in silence. "Yes, there is! Grandpa, are you okay?" I placed a hand to his temple. "No fever, but maybe you should go back to bed. "

He slapped my hand away, glaring. "I'm perfectly fine."

I remained unconvinced. "Well, when are you going?"

"Grandson," he sighed. "It's a secret mission, therefore I cannot disclose any information to you at this moment."

"But you threw out your back not long ago. Are you sure you're up for this? If you get hurt I can't go help you because I won't know where you are. Who hired you anyway?"

"Why do you ask questions?" He frowned before heaving a sigh. "I'm trusting you to take care of the dojo and to protect our territory while I'm away."

I raised an eyebrow, warning him not to go into the responsibility speech he gave me every time he went out. Accepting that there was no other way around it and that I might not ever see my grandfather again, I asked, "How long will you be gone, approximately?"

"Three or four, maybe."

"Three or four what?" Dan interjected after his long silence. "Weeks? Months?"

"Maybe five."

I nodded slowly, processing the information. No Grandpa...indefinitely...

I could live with that.

He made a move to leave, and together we walked to the front door. I watched as he stepped into the brightening day and took off, a blur of bones and sagging skin. I breathed in deeply as soon as he was out of sight, the emotionless farewell already behind me. Dan stared for a while longer, though it surprised me that he had remained stoic during Grandpa's departure. I was confident that Dan cared more for him than I did.

I turned, ready to head inside when Dan stopped me.

"Okay, Shun, now that he's gone, we can get to work," he said, slapping me with a wad of blue paper. He planted himself on the cement, patting the spot next to him. Reluctantly, I sat.

"Where were you hiding that?"

Dan looked at me out of the corner of his eye as he stretched out the paper. "Nowhere." He motioned toward the corner of the paper that read _YOU ARE HERE_. "This is us, Shun. We're at the dojo's entrance. Now, I was thinking that we place the sparring area deeper into the woods to make the journey there a lesson in itself. I don't know about that koi pond, though, because it interferes with the plan I had in mind over here." He pointed at the poorly drawn pond on the paper. "What do you think?"

"I think that I have no clue what you're talking about. There's nothing wrong with the koi pond, and why do we need another sparring area?" I questioned, looking over the blueprint and snorting at the stick figures supposed to represent myself and Dan. They both looked the same except for the names scribbled above them.

"Because we're going to have a ninja camp," Dan replied, exasperated. "I figured that you should share your knowledge with the world. Sure, you taught me that failed technique of rolling away from a net, but I'm confident you can do better with everyone else."

"No, I told you _not _to roll when in a net because you'd get tangled, at which point you said '_Don't tell me what to do, Shun_,' and now do it anyway," I argued, crossing my arms.

"Yeah, okay," Dan huffed, rolling up the plan. "Either way, you can't say no to the idea because I already made a commercial for it." He produced a small camcorder, flipping open the side screen and locating his commercial.

"And you kept that where...?"

"You don't have to know," he retorted, pressing the play button, eyes alight. "Just watch."

A strange song from the eighties began playing in the background as a masked and mustachioed Dan appeared on the screen, giving the audience two thumbs up. Then it was Dan running and pointing at the camera, another masked person running behind him. The scene cut to the other masked person–I recognized the eyes as Baron's–throwing shurikens, one embedding itself into a short masked boy. Dan ran to his side, cradling him and pointing at the camera sternly, the word _AWESOME_ underneath. The scene changed again to Dan holding my two koi fish.

I paused it and Dan shot me a disgruntled look. "Are those Koiey and Koyetta?"

He shrugged. "Don't worry. They're okay...ish."

"Dan," I warned.

"Shh."

I looked back to the screen, reminding myself not to forget to check on my koi. Next Dan was meditating, his eyes closed and his black mask looking awfully warm in the bright sunlight. Then Dan was running toward the camera, saying, "Hey, get off that couch! That's right, get up and let's have a talk. So you wanna be a ninja, but how? Well, luckily, my name is Dan." Under him a caption read '_Dan–Ninja Camp Director_.' The camera rotated around him while he flexed his nonexistent muscles. "And I have a Ninja Camp."

The scene cut to a shot of the walls of the dojo, a shoddy sign advertising the camp taped to the gates. "This is it!" he shouted animatedly.

Dan was suddenly standing next to Ace and Klaus, each holding their black masks in their hands and scowling. "I've been a professional ninja for years now." He turned swiftly. "So come learn from the best! You will learn...tricks!"

The small masked boy grappled onto a tree, his grapple coming loose while he was swung across and toppling to the ground.

"Tips!" Dan held a shuriken in his hand. "This is a shuriken!" The scene changed and he was pointing at the camera again. "Everything!"

The camera caught him standing on the dojo's room majestically, his mustache blowing in the wind. "Don't worry. We'll get to the assassinations later, but for right now, we'll start with the basics. Oh, and don't worry parents. It's super safe here at Ninja Camp."

Dan's dad appeared onscreen, the caption _'Mr. Kuso–Satisfied Dad_' below him. The asterisk reading '_Paid Testimonial_' didn't escape me. "It's great because you don't have to fill out long paperwork."

"No hassle!" Dan shouted, turning around quickly and fixing his fake mustache. "See, what did I tell you? Everybody loves my camp!"

The scene cut to Gus, a rebellious expression on his face, his caption stating he was a '_Ninja Camp Helper_'. "This is a temporary job," he spat.

Then it was Baron, the '_Ninja Camp Graduate_.' "It's great because I used to have no ninja skills"–the camera showed him, failing at a grappling technique–"and look at me now!" He was grappling again, but this time he fell and landed with an audible crack.

"I wanted to work with Master Spectra."

The scene changed to Dan running, Baron behind him, and the small ninja behind Baron, the color changing in time with the beat of the music.

"That could be you!" Dan encouraged. "Anything is possible with a kunai is your hands!"

Everyone who had been in the video, including some strangers appeared onscreen, all chanting, "Yay, Ninja Camp!"

"Well, it looks like I have to dash out of here. See you here!"

The screen faded to black, and Dan snapped it shut. I stared for longer than necessary, thinking about the best way to get rid of his half-brained idea before it was too late. The sun was barely rising, and it hit me that there had been many shots of the dojo in the video.

"Hey, when did you shoot this thing?"

Dan laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, you know..."

"No," I stated firmly. "I don't."

"Fine, so what if I suck over here a few times?" he snorted. "Big deal. The thing is that we have to get started on this. We have to be ready for the campers' arrival."

I stood up suddenly, and Dan pocketed the camcorder. "Dan, I'm not starting a camp. Grandpa wouldn't like it."

Dan sighed. "Shun, since when do you care if Grandpa likes something you do or not? Besides," he leaned in, whispering deviously, "Grandpa...is not here."

I shook my head, walking inside.

"Come on, Shun!" he whined, following. "I won't even say '_What could possibly go wrong?_'"

"You just did," I pointed out in the foyer.

"Things won't go wrong, then," he answered casually, linking his hands behind his head and giving me a carefree grin.

"Fine, you win, Dan."

"Yes!" he cheered. "This is gonna be great!"

* * *

**_Well, this was mostly a filler chapter. More actual ninja stuff will happen in the next chapter, especially since Dan's creation of the Ninja Camp. Leave a review, if you wish :D_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


	7. Welcome to Camp Ninja

**_Here is the beginning of the camp, where Shun starts loving the power Dan has given to him. The other campers have a reason to be afraid._**

* * *

**Welcome to Camp Ninja**

"So, for a camp, we'd need camp_ers_, right?" I asked over breakfast as Dan cleaned out my fridge.

"Mm-hmm," he acknowledged, his mouth and hands full of whatever edible substances he could find.

"That's what the commercial was for," I summarized, feeling oddly grossed out by his constant appetite. It was an experience that just didn't get any less surprising with time.

He swallowed loudly, drinking down a glass of juice. He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "Yep, but don't worry about recruiting. I've already shown the commercial and have a whole list of people excited to use our services." He tossed me a folded piece of paper, which I easily caught and opened.

"This many already?" I gasped. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Awhile," he admitted. "Whether you said yes or no, I was going to have a camp."

I glared at his blatant disregard for my opinion. The more I considered the idea, the more put out I was about it. I supposed that, in some way, Dan's logic about "sharing my talents" made sense, though I suspected that Grandpa would have had a clever counter-argument for it. What good could come out of it, anyway? The video had clearly shown how dangerous our lifestyle is, and I sure as hell did not want to be liable for any injuries or deaths.

As if reading my mind, Dan handed me a stack of papers, a smudge of jam and something dark red on the first one.

"Liability release forms?" I asked, impressed by his foresight.

He grinned. "That's right. I got each person on the list to sign one, after some persuasion, of course."

"Persuasion, huh?" I smirked. "What did you use, blackmail?"

He tried an innocent look. "Maybe, maybe not. I've never been much good at keeping secrets."

I wasn't sure whether to agree or disagree. Sure, it didn't take much for him to open his big mouth about something, but I'd told him a number of secrets–and still did–and as far as I knew, he hadn't shared them with anyone.

"Okay, are you ready, Shun?" he asked, standing up and heading toward the backyard.

I nodded, following him outside. Dan stretched out his blueprints, using rocks to hold them open. The setup looked relatively simple. The whole thing looked to be an obstacle course, a dangerous one at that. I could make out a set of sharp teeth and fire, but the rest of the pictures–and the plan in general–was a mystery to me.

"Dan, these scribbles look like hieroglyphics. How do you understand this? And more importantly, how do we create this thing?"

Dan sighed impatiently. "I think it's perfectly legible, and I went ahead and picked up everything we'd need at _Ninja's R Us._"

"'_Ninja's R Us?_'" I repeated incredulously.

"Shun, stop asking questions! The campers will be here any minute."

I stared at him. "You know, you could have told me that sooner. Why did you tell everyone to be here so soon? We haven't even set anything up."

"Shun," Dan began, placing a hand on my shoulder and turning me to look at the landscape behind us. "This is your domain. _You_ are in charge. _You_ know it better than anyone. So why should _you_ have to build the camp when we've got campers to do it for us?"

I considered his statement for a moment. Grandpa had always had me do the dirty work for him, hardly ever lifting a finger, so why should I now? "I never thought I'd say this, Dan, but it's brilliant. You understand the concept of forced ninja labor better than I first thought."

Dan beamed at the praise. "Aw, shucks. You make it seem as if it's not in my blood."

I decided to ignore that comment, knowing it was pointless trying to convince Dan that he was not related to me or my ninja ancestors. The last time I'd brought it up, it'd ended in a few broken bones and a lot of questions.

I heard voices coming from the gates and motioned for Dan to let everyone in. This camp thing might not be such a bad idea after all.

-X-

"Hello, campers!" Dan greeted brightly as the twelve campers settled in front of him.

I stood next to him, making eye contact with each one of them. They were all familiar faces–the Battle Brawlers, Masquerade's lackeys, the Resistance. Dan had informed me that he had an amazing speech planned, so I allowed him to go first. It's not like _I _had much to say.

"I'm super excited about introducing you all to the ways of the ninja. We have many activities planned, and hopefully, when all this is over, each one of you will be able to walk away with some knowledge that will help you in everyday life. To aid you in this quest for knowledge, my associate, Shun–"

"Hi, Master Shun!" Komba cut in.

Dan gave him an aggravated look before continuing with more enthusiasm. "As I was saying, Shun and I will be sharing the secrets we know, so how about we get started right now?"

Komba cheered at this, while most everyone else remained silent. Julio coughed in the following silence. No doubt he was the only one happy about it, since I'd never actually trained him like he wanted me to.

"O-kay," Dan said slowly. "Since no one seems excited, let's start off with some manual labor!"

Everyone groaned, and Klaus stood up angrily, dusting himself off. "I'll have you know, Dan, that aristocrats such as myself do not engage in acts of physical work. That's what the lower classes are for."

Dan laughed in response. "Oh, Klaus. You'll never be a ninja with that attitude. If you're going to be here, then you're going to get down and dirty."

He scoffed. "I'd much rather not be here, so perhaps I'll just take my leave."

Dan shrugged. "Alright, but that would be breaking your end of the deal we made."

Upon mentioning the deal, Klaus stiffened, eyes narrowed dangerously and fists clenched. He sat down again, and I looked at the brunette curiously. He had a smirk on his face, and I wondered what exactly their agreement was about. I made a mental note to ask about it later. Dan motioned for me to take over the crowd.

I cleared my throat. "Today's camp goal is to be more fit. Ninja's must be able to perform strenuous work, and therefore, maintain their bodies in top condition. This involves long hours of exercise, and as such, you all will be building an obstacle course to use for your training. I shall assign all of you to one of the seven areas. Any questions?"

"Excuse me, Shun," Marucho interrupted, raising a hand up. "When do we get our black suits?"

"Oh, I want to know, too! Black totally doesn't go with my complexion, so I was wondering if you, like, had a pink one," Julie added shrilly.

"Black suits?" I repeated, glancing at Dan, who was scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I didn't really think that part through," he admitted. "But I did promise them ninja suits."

I sighed. "Look, we'll talk about the black suits another time. Any other questions?" No one raised a hand. "Excellent. The first obstacle will be an alligator pond. Julio, your job will be to bring in our crocodile-alligator hybrids from the river and deposit them into the koi pond. Dan has already removed the kois, so it should be an easy task for you."

Julio blanched under his tan, but quickly recovered and nodded eagerly. "Yes! Those crocodile-alligators don't stand a chance against me."

"The second obstacle will be a brick wall separating the reptiles from the automatic archers. Runo, Marucho, Alice, and Ace, you four will build the wall, along with everyone else as they finish their tasks, understood?"

They nodded, not arguing, which was a pleasant surprise.

"Komba, you're in charge of setting up four automatic archers beyond the wall."

"Yes, Master Shun!"

"Julie, you have to create a rig that will cause vases to be raised up and down at different intervals. Can you handle it?" I asked wearily.

She grinned widely. "No prob, Shun! I can totally come up with that in no time!"

I nodded, moving on to the next phase of the course as Dan explained each one to me. "Chan, you will have to build a rig to hold up four swinging scythes."

She smirked. "Please. I can do that in my sleep."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure you can, and–yes, Joe?"

"I don't think it's very safe for Chan to be doing that alone, so is it all right if I help her?" Joe asked, polite as usual.

"Sure, go crazy." I examined the last few people left in front of me. Mira, Baron, and Klaus stared back at me, waiting for whatever torture Dan came up with. "Mira and Baron, you two will build a rig similar to Chan's but with sandbags instead of scythes. And you Klaus..." I pretended to look over the blueprints carefully, though I knew exactly what I would have him do. "You'll set up the ring of fire."

"Ring of fire?" he sputtered. "That could be the most dangerous job yet!"

I shrugged. "I suppose you could help with the vicious crocodile-alligators if you don't want to do that."

"You win this round," he growled, heading off toward the future location of the ring of fire.

I chuckled to myself, hardly able to wait until they completed the obstacle course.

-X-

I could only stare in awe at their handiwork. The course was like something out of my Grandpa's imagination. The crocodile-alligators hissed in unison, snapping their jaws hungrily. The brick wall stood eight feet all, each brick aligned with the utmost precision. The archers lay low to the ground, ready to be triggered by a trip wire when the ninja landed a jump from the wall. The vases, surprisingly, moved up and down efficiently. The scythes swung quickly, each one sharp enough and deadly enough to kill with the slightest misstep. The sandbags were considerably less deadly, though it was obvious that any one of them could cause a concussion. The ring of fire was a little pathetic, in all honesty, but it _was_ on fire and it _was_ a ring, so both Dan and I withheld out complaints.

The campers, dirty and tired, beamed at the praise Dan gave them. Admittedly, I was impressed, but I would be more impressed if any one of them (excluding Chan or myself) could make it through in one piece.

"Who wants to go first?" I asked smugly, eyeing them for the first unlucky volunteer.

"I'll do it!" Joe exclaimed, jumping to his feet. The others stared at him, eyes wide, heads shaking.

"Joe, you don't have to do this," Chan explained, grabbing a hold of his arm and attempting to pull him into a sitting position.

"No, no, I can do this! I know I can."

Dan and I shared an apprehensive look. He inhaled slowly. "Okay, Joe, go for it," Dan agreed, ushering him toward the crocodile end of the course."Remember, you're being timed, so move as fast as you can. We'll stop the clock when you save the citizen just beyond the ring of fire." Dan pointed at the plastic doll he'd placed at the end.

I stared on, impassive. I didn't want to risk ruining his concentration, unlike everyone else who had expressions of horror on their faces. Even Joe himself seemed nervous, judging by the way he was wringing his hands in front of the pond.

The goal was to pole vault over the pond and land on the brick wall. Joe held the pole tightly as he stepped back, preparing for a run that would precipitate his jump. He breathed in, closing his eyes for a moment, and took off running. His feet kicked up puffs of dust and then he was airborne, sailing across the pond...

...and landing just short of the wall. He skidded to a stop, backing up against the wall as the crocodile-alligators snapped at his feet. He screamed when a snout touched his leg, and the others screamed along with him.

"Play dead!" Dan shouted, a camera in his hands aimed at the crocodiles circling Joe.

Joe, nervously looking around for an escape, complied, dropping to the ground. The crocodile-alligators stopped hissing for a moment, but not long enough for their swarm to dissipate. They resumed crawling closer to Joe, and in a burst of adrenaline Joe leaped over them, dashing toward the other end of the course. The animals chased him, relentless in their pursuit.

"Oh my gosh, this is horrific! I wasn't ready for this–ah!" Dan screamed while one crocodile closed in on Joe.

I decided that he would most likely be eaten if he continued to be out there, so I stepped in, grabbing hold of Joe and leaping onto a tree. The crocodile-alligators continued coming toward us until they realized they couldn't make it up the tree. They waddled their way back into the pond. Joe breathed a shaky sigh of relief, and I settled him down with the others.

I smiled widely. "Who's next?"

* * *

**_And that's how we end this chapter. Hope you are all looking forward to everyone else's runs through the course. The next chapter will mostly deal with weapons and combat training, so things will only get more dangerous for the campers. Anything in particular you guys would like to see? Leave a Review and let me know ^.^_**

**_Oh, and for all you impatient readers, you can check the progress of any of my stories on my profile~_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


	8. Ninja Camp 2: Electric Boogaloo

**_It's been a while but here is the next lengthy installment of Ninja Camp. Things, of course, go from bad to worse. I've been out of it, so it may not be as funny, but hope you enjoy anyway!_**

**_One of the ideas in here was submitted by The Sky's Bouquet way back when, and it's finally in here! Especially enjoy that part :D_**

* * *

**Ninja Camp 2: Electric Boogaloo**

Joe's attempt was, in short, disastrous. I was expecting a dramatic fail, which came true, though I really had to bite my tongue to prevent from laughing at the sight of Joe almost eaten by a vicious crocodilian. Now, if only it had been Klaus...

After the scare Joe gave them, the campers were understandably nervous about entering the course. It was completely safe, I assured them, biting back a smirk at their credulousness. I had to hand it to Dan; he sure knew how to turn something ordinary into something potentially deadly.

I asked the million dollar question and when no one volunteered to go next after five minutes, I had to resort to volunteering one of them myself.

"Well, since no one wants to go willingly, I'll choose someone."

The group tensed as I eyed them, trying to see which one could possibly complete the course with minimal injuries.

"I'll go next," Chan offered during my scrutiny and as I was about to choose Marucho. "How about you go before me, though?"

I shrugged, happy to show off the skills I'd worked years to perfect. I strolled over to the beginning of the course, the crocodile-alligators extra feisty due to their missed meal. I tensed my leg muscles, ready to jump without a pole. I took one step back and jumped, right as Dan hollered "Good luck, Shun," breaking my concentration and causing me to land on a crocodile's face. I quickly readjusted myself, using it as a springboard and backflipping over the wall, landing on one hand behind the arrows. The tripwire went off without a hitch, a volley of arrows flying toward me. I was too fast for them, jumping over the vases and zooming through the sandbags and scythes quicker than a speeding bullet. The ring of fire also stood no chance, and I leaped through gracefully, landing on my feet lightly.

I turned to the group, smirking as they stared in awe at how freaking amazing I was at being a ninja. Dan managed to contain himself, but I could see his eyes shining brightly and his hands itching to get into action. "Wow, you slowed down a bit," he said, watching his stopwatch. "Point one second slower."

"Curses, maybe I shouldn't have eaten that extra rice ball last night."

I motioned for Chan to get on with it, standing to the side where all the campers still stared at me mouths agape. She made her way through the course with minimal exertion, and dare I say it, she was almost as good as me. Almost. I even sent out Marucho, and he performed exceptionally well for someone his size. He was too short for most of the traps to get him—he could walk under the arrows and scythes—but he managed the pole vault and jump the ring of fire with surprising agility.

I quickly grew bored of most of the campers getting through the course unscathed. Mira, Alice, Baron, Komba, Julio, and Runo all made it through alive and without so much as a scratch. I'd hoped that at least one of them would break a bone—even a minor fracture would have made me happy.

But _no_. Everyone had to be slow and safe the whole time. It was ridiculous.

In a moment of exasperation, I picked on someone who I knew would give me a show: Klaus. Except he didn't. He only used his butlers as shields, which of course didn't work. It was funny watching him try to fend off crocodile-alligators with them, though. Eventually, he just gave up and didn't even finish the course. I called on my backup plan, Mr. Emo himself, the one and only Ace.

"This is dumb. I don't even want to be a ninja," he complained, still sitting down.

"Nearly everyone has gone," I pointed out dryly. "Are you going to let everyone else show you up?"

Ace scoffed. "Heh, 'course not. Let me show all of you the right way to complete the course."

"Right." I said, watching closely as he stood in front of the crocodilian pit. Dan started the stop watch and shouted "Go!" Ace took off…

…around the crocodile pit and traps, cutting across the whole course until he reached the citizen he was supposed to save. Then out of the silence, Dan clapped.

"Ace, you have the fastest time ever! You beat Shun! I can't…believe it. It's amazing, it's incredible, it's—"

"Cheating," I finished, shaking my head. "You're not allowed to _not_ do the course. That defeats the purpose."

"You only said I had to 'save the citizen.'" He mimicked in a bad imitation of my voice, air quoting the phrase. "I did just that."

Dan nodded, clapping Ace on the back. "You sure did! Shun, I think he's getting the hang of this ninja thing."

"I don't," I growled, choosing the last contestant.

It turned out to be a good thing that Julie was chosen to go last because one of the scythes chopped a piece of her hair off. She went ballistic after that, completely wrecking the entire course. The arrows were on fire, the crocodiles were rampaging, and the campers were cowering in a corner.

This might not have been such a good idea after all.

-X-

"Okay, now that we've taken care of the course and scoped out your ninja prowess, we're moving on to the use of ninja tools," I explained.

"Right-O," Dan added. "I've also used Shun's credit card to buy black suits for all of you." He proceeded to hand them out to each person, even Julie who had wanted a pink one. He whistled a happy tune as the campers oohed and aahed at the stretchy material. I gaped at the nonsense of it all, snatching the one closest to me out of Komba's hands.

"Spandex?" I asked, outraged, shaking the offensive material. "Ninjas wouldn't be caught dead in this, Dan."

"Sure they would," he laughed, stripping to his boxers and slipping one on right before my eyes. I covered my eyes instinctively, wincing at his lack of modesty. "I wear it all the time."

"Dan, they've still got a long way to go before they're qualified to become ninjas. It takes more than a spandex costume and some flashy ninja moves and a name tag that says 'Hello, I am a ninja' to become a ninja," I snapped, collecting the black suits he'd just handed out.

He grabbed the end of one suit in my hands and tugged. "No, it doesn't! That's exactly what it takes." He turned to the campers. "I also brought name tags for you all, by the way."

"I thought you wanted to teach them the right way," I argued, pulling on the suit.

He tugged a bit harder. "I thought you wanted to teach them period."

"Fine," I said, letting go of the suit and laughing as Dan stumbled backwards. "Anyone who wants to learn the correct way to be a ninja, follow me. Anyone who wants to learn the pathetic way to _pretend_ you're a ninja follows Dan."

They looked at me for a second before trailing after Dan toward the remains of the obstacle course. I sputtered with indignation. Those fools! How did they think Dan knew how to be a ninja better than I did?

"Fine! Go with Dan. See if I care," I called after them. Dan stuck his tongue out at me and smirked, enjoying the insanity of it all.

I scoffed, looking to my one pupil, Komba. His dark eyes shined eagerly and he twitched in anticipation of the knowledge I was about to share with him. I sighed and motioned for him to follow me.

"Don't worry, Master Shun. This'll be great, just us two. We can stay up all night practicing ninja moves and swapping ninja stories, and in the morning we can drink herbal tea and stuff. They're all gonna be jealous when they see how much better you are than Dan," Komba stated matter-of-factly, grinning widely.

I felt myself smiling despite his naivety. "Yeah, we'll show them. This won't be easy, Komba, but I'm sure you can learn everything I have to teach you."

-X-

"Today, Komba, we're going to focus on tools and weapons."

"Yes, Master Shun," he nodded eagerly.

"Now, it's very important that you listen to everything I say, because one mistake could prove to be fatal, understood?" I asked seriously, positive that Dan was giving no such disclaimer to the others.

"I will! You can count on me!"

I sighed, sensing the calamity that would ensue. Somehow, wherever ninja stuff was involved, disaster was sure to follow. "Yes, well, let's get started right away. We have a lot to go over."

I lead Komba to our ninja tool shed a mile away from the dojo, the place where Grandpa kept all of our equipment. The simple wooden shed was locked with a single padlock, and I saw Dan trying to break it open with a rock, the rest of the campers behind him.

"Watch and learn, campers. I'm about to show you all how a real ninja gets it done."

"Thief!" Komba shouted right away, pouncing on Dan and grabbing him in a chokehold. I stood to one side mildly amused while Dan tried to yank the kid off of him and choked out, "Break…the padlock. Break…the lock. Get him off! Get him off!"

Finally, after another minute or two of watching Dan squirm, I pried Komba off. In the meantime, Klaus was trying to break open the lock with a bigger rock. He didn't manage to get it open but he _did_ look like a Neanderthal, which can be counted as a success.

Dan gave me a defiant glare, which soon softened when I produced the single key that opened the shed. A maniacal smile spread across his face, and he flung his arm around my shoulder. "Hey, Shun, buddy old pal. Did you get a haircut because you're looking good—"

I shook him off in one fluid motion. "Dan, you're only going to get your hands on these weapons if you join your group with mine. Anything I say goes, for you and for those misled campers. Questions?"

No one said anything except Dan who raised his hand and asked impatiently, "Uh, yeah. Can you open it already?"

I scoffed, the lock coming undone with a quiet click. Dan was inside in an instant, zooming around the inside like a whirlwind, scooping up everything within his sight. The meticulous order my Grandpa had kept it in was quickly thrown into disarray. I held back another sigh. Just another thing I'd have to fix before Grandpa came back from his secret mission.

"Alright!" he whooped. "Let's get it started!"

-X-

"The most important weapon for a ninja, students, is the katana," I began, holding the simple slightly curved blade in one hand and demonstrating the sharp edge with the other. "The sword of the ninja."

The campers had gathered around the shed in an orderly fashion, much to my approval, and they didn't really put up much of a fight when I was placed in charge. I think it was the thrill of weaponry. It holds the attention of the simple-minded so easily.

"There are many styles of katana, the ninja version being smaller and straighter for easy concealment. It's used not only for defense and killing, but as an extension of one's body. For example, if I had to climb a wall, I could prop the katana against it and step on the hilt to give me extra height." I motioned to the cord wrapped around the hilt, extending it with a hand. "In that example, this would be wrapped around my foot so I could retrieve my katana once I climbed the wall."

Komba, in the front row, nodded exuberantly, writing my sentences word for word in a notebook. And he wasn't the only one. Everyone, including Klaus, seemed to be enthralled in my description of the plain silver blade.

"Question?" Baron called out. "If ninjas are carrying these super cool katanas, why would they want to conceal them? I mean, if I had one, I'd definitely want to show it off."

"You're not supposed to announce to the world that you're a ninja, Baron. Ninjas were originally the lower classes of feudal Japan, turning to secrecy in order to protect themselves from the samurais of the aristocracy. Their weapons were concealed so samurais wouldn't suspect their ninjahood." I explained, receiving an 'Ah' from Baron.

I continued, getting rather excited myself for this next part. "Now, if I could have a volunteer..?"

Immediately, Komba jumped up and teleported, it seemed, to my side.

I smiled slightly, getting into a fighter's stance. "Excellent…now dodge!"

-X-

"This is the _tekken_." I slipped the clawed knuckles onto my hand. "They're made of iron and generally used for climbing."

Removing the _tekken_, I placed larger claws over my hands, extending my reach a foot. "This, on the other hand, is a _hokode_. Again, mainly for climbing, but they're sharp enough that they could be used as killing machines if necessary." The class stared in silence, every pair of eyes fixated on the glint of the claws in the bright sun. Some gulped audibly. It must have been the incident with Komba and the katana. I told him it was only a scratch, not a "stab" as he put it. But now he only sat _in the back_. Wimp.

I decided to break the ice with a little pop culture reference. "They remind me of those claws that that guy had in the X-Men. What was his name again? Timberwolf?"

"Wolverine," Julio said.

"Excuse me?" I asked, putting my claws to his neck.

-X-

"The ninja throwing stars, also known as _shuriken_, were carried in bands of up to five. This one in particular has four points and is made of iron, as many _shuriken_ were."

I passed the shuriken to Dan and he passed it around the group.

"They could be used as projectile weapons, throwing them in a spinning motion, but they could also be used as slashers. For example, if I had a hold of my opponent, I could easily use a _shuriken_ to tear the skin, or even a major artery."

Noticing their blank stares, I continued. "Now class, please demonstrate the proper technique of throwing stars on Dan."

"Yeah! Demonstrate the…Wait, _on me_? I don't like this plan," Dan argued, the class eyeing Dan like a snack.

"You should run," I advised.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Shun," he replied warmly before taking off in the opposite direction. "Ahhhhhh!"

"Charge!" bellowed Klaus leading the group in search of Dan.

"Extra credit to those who hit Dan in the—"

"Ouch! Not there!" he yelped. "Why would you throw a _shuriken_ there?"

"I was going to say face, but that works, too. Good job, Runo."

-X-

"Ninjas were not beyond firearms, but unfortunately, pistols in the traditional sense didn't reach Japan until after the wars of the Feudal Era ended. Instead we got these neat little explosives. The soft cased bombs held poison, created smoke, or just created an explosive sound. "

I held up a bomb the size of a grapefruit in my hand, and then placed it on the floor before me. I picked up one of the bigger, heavier ceramic bombs. "Larger pottery bombs could cause damage by hurling pieces of iron or pottery shards."

Setting the bomb down, I picked up a string of gunpowder cases. "This is a _hyrakuraiju. _These tiny compartments hold gunpowder and are all strapped to this length of rope. It could be set off to give the illusion of multiple intruders or just as a distraction."

"Let's see how quick you guys are," Dan shouted, throwing one of each bomb into the crowd of campers, all of them failing to be caught and quickly exploding. I jumped up onto the roof of the shed, pulling Dan up with me.

"My eyes!"

"This burns!"

"We should have made a sacrifice to the ninja gods!"

The screams continued for a few seconds more before they all slowly stopped and the multicolored smoke dissipated. We stared at each other, unsure of what to do when we saw the campers lying on the ground apparently unconscious.

"Um, do you know what exactly was _in_ those bombs?" the brunette asked me.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "I think they were safe…maybe."

Dan shrugged in an 'Oh, well' kind of way. "Well, at least we don't have to give them a refund now."

It amazed me that Dan was still able to joke around after we might have killed every one of our friends. The only thing that amazed me more was why I didn't think of it sooner.

* * *

**_As always, hope you had fun reading, and leave me your thoughts or suggestions in a review!_**

**_Cocoacharm15_**


End file.
